Rhetorical Sinking
by Protectress of Dalidon
Summary: All they have to do is retrieve a drop box. All they have to do is make it out alive. But Captain Arcane wants to refuse, 2IC Maralah has rearranged the teams, and Zion wants to find the traitor, even if they lose everyone else in the process.
1. You're asking us to mutany

She looked at the people sitting waiting around the table. Their eyes drifted but each was waiting for her to speak. For a moment she looked at each member of the crew, sharp Orion with his strong morality, Siren the dramatist, Venus and Raptor right next to each other as usual almost breaking regs, Ivory the operator extraordinaire and the three newbies. Scythe left her with a vaguely uneasy feeling, possibly from his cold, nearly black eyes, Nighthawk seemed to be completely comfortable on a ship but then the young woman was in the top of her classes at all times. Lastly, there was Sparkle, the vibrant girl whose every emotion danced across her face. Maralah, first officer, paused before calling attention to herself.

"Zion has issued a mission to the Rhetoric," she began, choosing her words carefully, "I want to know if you would take a mission that the captain declines." Intakes of breath did not surprise the woman standing, but they were exactly what she had been expecting, especially from those not accustomed to the ways of the Rhetoric.

"You're going to ask us to mutiny." Softly the eyes of steel pinned hers. Orion was an honourable man and if he had a choice, his captain's word would stand. She smiled a little, putting a spin on the issue. Where Orion would lead, the others would follow and she needed his support.

"I suppose in a way I am. But you haven't heard there was a mission, have you?" They all shook their heads and her lips twitched in amusement. Yes, the captain had done precisely as she wanted this time.

"Will you tell us what's going on before we decide?" A small voice asked. The girl was new, her hair barely reaching her ears in blonde waves. Sparkle, worried, looked for reassurance, which was given in a small grin.

"There is an important store of information in the Matrix. This information is considered vital to the success of our cause. All Zion wants is for us to get that information to them."

"Sounds like a drop box. Why don't they send another ship? What aren't you telling us?" As usual, Orion was astute, almost too much so for her liking, but she refrained from appearing worried.

"It's the same one as last time." A young woman leapt to her feet, hands clutching at her chest as the sentence finished. Over dramatic perhaps, but that was exactly what made the blonde famous.

"No!" Siren declared, "we barely made it out before!" Her eyes had grown wide with panic, orbs of blue glistening with fright. Maralah knew she was playing to the crowd.

"Last time there was too much nonsense from those inside. Last time we didn't have a plan. Last time we sent everybody in at once." As she outlined each mistake, her voice grew louder and stronger. "This time we will not fail Zion. This time we can make it out a complete crew." There was a silence she could understand as the others tried to come to terms with what was being asked of them. Slowly the young woman sat again, her hands lacing in her lap. Eyes still wide, Sparkle swallowed hard against the dread she saw in the other eyes.

"I suppose Arcane has said no go and Zion is holding something over your head." Smooth voiced, the operator smiled her normal, knowing smile. Her almond eyes danced with anticipation.

"Right as always. They've said it's my last before I get a place on a kid ship." Nods followed her voice as it faded away. All but the three newest members knew about the child waiting in Zion for the first officer to return.

"How long have you been waiting for that?" Breathed Venus, the girl whose mind worked brilliantly no matter the task. She crafted incredibly real people, no matter the situation. Sometimes they were almost too good.

"About three years now." A smile tugged at her lips at the memory of the young girl whose eyes asked more questions than made it past her lips.

"Um, what are you talking about?" Blonde Sparkle asked, completely perplexed.

"There are certain ships, mainly ones that restock ships up at broadcast, that can carry both military personnel and children who have plugs. The orphans. Minerva really picked me. We've been happy and because the Rhetoric generally has short missions and extended shore leave, I was allowed to adopt her. After this mission we have a place each on one of those ships. I can't risk losing that over a mission." Silence followed as the information soaked into the minds of the fresh crew.

"Are you going to tell the captain what you plan?" Orion once again questioned her. He should already have known the answer, but with so much at stake even the woman he respected as much as his captain could act irrationally.

"I already have." Her voice was as calm as it had ever been, laughter dancing in her expression.

"What did he say?" Siren let her blue eyes open melodramatically wide in anticipation.

"'As long as you keep me the hell out of it I don't care what you do' were his exact words if I remember rightly." The corners of her lips twitched upward in amusement.

"You do, as always Maralah." A voice, unexpected, came from the stairwell and downward came the man of who they had been speaking.

"Sir! I was only curious, I wasn't really going to go against you…" Stumbled Siren, standing shocked at his arrival.

"It doesn't matter either way what you were or weren't going to do. I've sent word back to Zion. As far as they know, we've taken the mission and there are no expected problems." His tone was rueful as he looked at his second in command. She smiled a little but stayed, still waiting.

"Sir, are you coming with us?" Comrades for years, Orion didn't want to betray the trust his captain and best friend had in him. But he too couldn't truly afford to turn down this mission.

"No, I don't want anything to do with this mess. It's enough that I lost three of us last time." He paused a moment and ran a hand through slightly curling hair. "But some of you don't have a choice. I understand that and I'll support you, offer advice if you need it. But I am not going in and I'll only haul your tails out if you can't do it yourselves. Maralah is in control of this one. Just keep me informed." His last words were directed at the woman by his side, his companion, his intimate.

"I always do." She replied quietly, a smile in her voice. And his feet were heard on the ladder. All eyes returned to her, the composed woman who would lead them either to success or death. They hoped for the former.

"Alright, you have an hour and a half before briefing." They left in muted mutters, some winking as they left. A lot could be achieved in an hour and a half. Ivory, the operator, paused.

"Core in twenty?"

"Twenty-five, I have some patching up to do."

"No problem. I'll get started then."

"Thanks Ivy, I won't be able to pull this off without you."

"I know, that's why I agreed in advance." The woman left with a smile and finally Maralah sank into the cold seating. A moment later his arms slipped around her and the silence became warm, comforting, forgiving and rebuilding. Closing her eyes she leaned into him and relaxed, preparing for what they had to do.

"I won't let her down Maralah, that would mean losing you and I won't do that either." His voice was rough, coarse over emotions he would never let out into the open. The ghost of a smile whispered across her lips.

"Just keep watch for me, that's all you can really do." He nodded and the time slipped by, each wrapped in their own thoughts, drawing support from the other. As she finally made her way up the stairs Arcane, captain of the Rhetoric, felt foreboding helplessness for the first time in his life. And for the first time he put stock in something an old woman had told him.

'Sometimes you only know what you have when you're going to lose it…' She had said between drags on her cigarette. In this case, Arcane couldn't afford for her to be right.


	2. By extention of logic

The keys clicked a little in the silence as the light danced across the face of the intent operator. Nothing she had ever seen was as complicated as the crafting that had just taken place. Silently the woman on the chair opened her eyes and smiled. Success. With a similar expression the operator undid the restraints and freed her friend.

"Briefing in about 30 minutes." Ivory informed her softly. A look of indecision entered the warrior's eyes and she asked silently for advice. Grinning marginally, the long time friend gestured with her head that it would be acceptable if the first officer left. A small nod of thanks and Maralah was gone, hoping the captain wasn't as busy as he said he'd be.

* * *

"All set?" He asked by way of greeting without turning around. The screens rolled with information before his eyes but he wasn't concentrating on them as much as he could be.

"Yes, all that remains is the briefing." She replied steadily, waiting.

"All systems completely checked?" Still he wouldn't turn, tapping out a command to bring up visuals of the programs running.

"I ran the search myself." She said softly, trying to suppress her anxiety. If he would just look at her...

"Good." He was trying to dismiss her, but she stood defiant. He glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in query.

"Please don't do anything rash." The 'first officer' quality she had come in with melted as she spoke. He stayed seated.

"Define rash." His smile would normally have provoked her to tap her foot but she refrained.

"Coming in." Steady and calm, she watched as her words sunk in.

"You want me to watch while you die?" For a moment he could see her still on the chair, his jaw tightened in denial. He couldn't let that happen.

"You can be of more assistance out here and you know it. You already said you'd stay out and I can handle myself in there."

"That is not what you said before." Contradicting her with tight tones he took stepped around her and closed the door.

"Before you didn't give me time to think. I have thought…" She tried to explain herself, not the first officer, but her own decisions.

"And you're still going in. I've already told you all the risks..." The chance that something could outweigh the worth of her life, in his eyes, was ludicrous.

"But none of the possibilities. Dammit Arcane, I can do this. I have to do this." Her eyes held his, convincing with their strength of conviction.

"I know, but why won't you let me help?" The truth surfaced slowly, the feeling of helplessness had failed to leave him alone for the hour he had watched by the operator's chair, watched the green symbols falling, her eyes moving behind closed lids.

"Because you don't want to go into something untested. I know you, you're better off out here." Her voice stayed brittle, hard, as she tried to make him understand.

"You're telling me what's best for me?" Eyes narrowing, he pushed the words past his lips, unable to shake the image still burning his mind.

"Just returning the favour." Her sarcasm was biting and her eyes flashed a little in anger. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes a moment.

"Maralah, drop it. I won't jack in, I'll stay out here, but can we stop arguing?" And there was Arcane the man, not Arcane, captain of the Rhetoric.

"Sure. We can drop it." She softened too, letting the tension seep out of her body. He watched and waited, curious.

"You want to say something else, don't you?" He asked, stepping a little closer to observe her face better.

"I… Don't do anything you'll regret." She rushed a little on the words, trying to get them out, trying to get him to understand what she hadn't said. The thought of him facing Lock for discipline chilled her to the bone.

"What about doing nothing and regretting that?" Dropping the level of his voice, he relaxed, assuring her by his body language.

"That's different." She shrugged, almost nonchalantly, feigning indifference. He wasn't fooled and his smile as he stepped closer to her told her so explicitly.

"So if I won't regret something, by your reasoning, I can do it?"

"By extension of logic, yes." She licked her lips without thinking about it, watching him.

"Good." Softly, he lowered his lips to hers, drawing her closer as he felt her soften. How many times had they stood in Zion like this? Linked by lips and arms as they shut out the chaos around them. How many times had she smiled beneath the contact, waiting just a fraction longer before moving against him? How many times? And the question rattled in his mind as her arms linked around his neck, as his hands framed her face, fingers moving in her hair. Suddenly the words haunted him, hunted him. 'When you're going to lose it…' He broke from the kiss, embracing her instead, feeling her head on his chest.

"Something you want to tell me?" She asked quietly as she had so many times before. This was no exception; he had no answer for her. Shaking his head, he lay a gentle kiss to her hair.

"You better get back down there and make sure everything is in working order." Reluctantly he moved away completely, turning as he went, hands by his sides, cold. She looked at his back a moment longer and held back a sigh. No matter what they talked about, what they went through together or alone, he wouldn't tell her what it was that caused him to close up. It didn't matter really; she told herself firmly, she had other things to think about.

"The data is ready and waiting on disks 1 through 3, just so you know in case…" He nodded and she left, making the trip back to the Core as silently as possible in the heavy boots she wore. His eyes landed on the disks as she left and noticed a fourth. What was? The question faltered as he saw the colour. It was a personal transmission disk, complete with insignia, recipients and, as usual for his first, the symbol that denoted messages for two separate parties. One for the child in Zion, Minerva, and one for him. She was too clever, he cursed silently, too damn clever to be risked like she was. Quickly he hacked a link through to the operator's consoles, bringing up stats on the screen. Ivory sent him a friendly greeting and told him firmly not to interfere. He agreed and watched as the green-eyed woman who had so recently left his company loaded up for a final check.

* * *

A/N: Thank you Thesseli for your review and your help with this piece has been brilliant. Thanks again!

May the muses smile on everyone.


End file.
